''Halcyon'' ( ) is the title of a collection of 88 poems by Italian poet
Gabriele D'Annunzio, written between 1899 and 1903, and published in 1903. It was intended as the third volume of a seven-book work called ("''Odes to the sky, to the sea, to the earth and to the heroes''") which was subsequently interrupted in 1912 with only four volumes published: ''Maia'', ''Elettra'', ''Halcyon'', and ''Merope''.
Origin
On July 7, 1899, D'Annunzio wrote to his editor Treves about a long and complex lyrical work he was developing. The seven books of the ''Laudi'' were named after the stars in the
Pleiades
The Pleiades (), also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an Asterism (astronomy), asterism of an open cluster, open star cluster containing young Stellar classification#Class B, B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Tau ...
cluster. Of these, the first three were published in 1903, while ''Merope'' was published in 1912.
D'Annunzio began to write poetry again after an extended hiatus (his last lyrical work, ''Poema paradisiaco'' was dated 1893), during which he was leading an eventful life between journeys, political experiences and the newly established sentimental bond with actress
Eleonora Duse
Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse ( , ; 3 October 185821 April 1924), often known simply as Duse, was an Italian actress, rated by many as the greatest of her time. She performed in many countries, notably in the plays of Gabriele D'Annunzio and Henr ...
. ''Halcyon'' is seen by the poet as a radical departure from his previous work, in which he feels he will be writing more freely, abandoning models, forms and characters from the past without giving up to the extremely vast culture that, in fact, springs through ''Halcyon'', going from
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
mythology
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
,
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
quotations and
Italian Renaissance
The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...
reminiscences.
Structure
''Halcyon'' comprehends 88 poems, ordered by a structural method that does not reflect the chronological order of composition. Between the first ''("La tregua")'', and the last one ''("Il commiato")'' the ideal of a Summer spent within sentimental joy and poetical accomplishment outlines. The collection is divided into five sections interrupted by four long
dithyramb
The dithyramb (; , ''dithyrambos'') was an ancient Greek hymn sung and danced in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility; the term was also used as an epithet of the god. Plato, in '' The Laws'', while discussing various kinds of music m ...
s.
Its best known poems are perhaps ''La pioggia nel pineto'' (Rain in the Pinewood) and ''La sera fiesolana'' (Evening in
Fiesole
Fiesole () is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km (3 miles) northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times.
...
). These two lyrical works are commonly learned in the
Liceo as high examples of
Decadentist poetry.
Style
''Halcyon'' is known for its
Classical references, sensuality and vivid erotism. Most of its poems are written in a style that privileges
alliterations
Alliteration is the repetition of syllable-initial consonant sounds between nearby words, or of syllable-initial vowels if the syllables in question do not start with a consonant. It is often used as a literary device. A common example is " Pet ...
and intricated rhyming schemes, thus making ''Halcyon'' extremely difficult to render in translation.
In this work, many poetic pictures are inspired by a feeling of strong connection with nature, which often translate into images of characters assuming the forms of plants or animals:
for example, in the Rain in the Pinewood, Hermione’s face complexion turns to green.
References
{{Gabriele D’Annunzio
Italian poetry collections
1903 poetry books
Works by Gabriele D'Annunzio